Match Day Thread Preston North End v Blackburn Rovers 24/11/2018 Deepdale

The International break is over and it's back to the real stuff and first up are are friends and neighbours from down the road although friends is possibly a loose term. Having supported North End since 1969 both us and those from Ewood were of a similar stature small Lancashire town teams whose supporters had aspirations of the big time nhowever had boards that didn't. Leeming out still a common phrase these days.
As we drifted through the 80's towards the 90's those from Ewood were hearing whispers of a local man Jack Walker who was in the process of putting in a shed load of money to get the Rovers to the promise land. And sure enough they hit the big time signing the likes of Shearer and bingo they won the Premier League although still maintain to this day that if Cantona adn't twatted that fan at Palace, United in my view would have won the league but for Eric's momentary lapse of reason. What made things worse was that we had just scutttled into league 4 under John do you want to buy some whiskey Beck.
Living South of the Ribble those floating North Enders suddenly became Ewood faithfuls and so intense rivalry kicked in. There was no living with them they were insufferable and over the years since then have continued to rub it in that they won the league in whenever it was.
Time has gone since then and the good times disappeared especially when the Venky's took control, weekly protest, millions in debt, relegated to League 1 fair play to them got promoted and seem to have found money to pay 7 miillion for Brereton and guess what the protests have stopped.
This is the Derby that matters the most.


Team news Maguire crocked again as is Johnson although he was suspended for this one.
To be added too.

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Ref Watch: Blackburn Rovers

One of the Championship’s most experienced match officials, Andy Madley, is in charge of the Lilywhites’ derby clash with Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

The man who took charge of North End’s Wembley triumph back in 2015, has done plenty of North End games over the past few years, including four last season and this is his second of this season, having officiated the game against Stoke City in August.

In 2017/18, as well as the final day win over Burton Albion, he refereed the 1-0 win over Reading at Deepdale back in August 2017, and our games at Ipswich Town and away at the Madejski Stadium in April.
He is one of the most familiar faces in terms of match officials for North End fans, as he also took charge of five of our games the season before that, as well as the aforementioned Play-Off Final win and our last encounter with local rivals Blackpool – when Tom Clarke wrote his name in PNE folklore.
In 2016/17 he was the referee away at Queens Park Rangers, in both games we played at St James’ Park, Newcastle, the away game at Aston Villa and the 5-0 home thrashing of Bristol City in April 2017.

He also had the whistle for three PNE games in 2014/15, including the win at Wembley, having been the referee in the first league win of the season, the 4-0 triumph at Scunthorpe United back in August of 2014 and then the live TV game against Fleetwood Town at Highbury in March 2015.

Mr Madley, as mentioned, was also in charge of our now memorable League Cup win over Blackpool in 2013/14 and then at Port Vale when North End won 2-0 with ten men.

This year he has so far officiated 14 games, issuing 33 cautions and just one red card; this is also his second Rovers game of the season, having refereed their 2-2 home draw with Nottingham Forest at Ewood Park back in September. His last game was the Friday night steel city derby, with Sheffield United held to a goalless draw by city rivals Wednesday in front of the TV cameras before the international break.

He will be assisted on Saturday by Steven Meredith and Robert Merchant and the fourth official will be Andy’s fellow select group two match official and another Deepdale regular, Geoff Eltringham.

 

Preston North End 4(FOUR) Barkhizen, Robinson, Moult, Browne Blackburn Rovers 1 Graham

PNE line-up: Rudd, Clarke ©, Earl, Pearson (Ledson, 83), Huntington, Davies, Barkhuizen, Gallagher, Nmecha (Moult, 60), Browne, Robinson (Barker, 69). Subs not used: Maxwell, Fisher, Hughes, Burke.

Blackburn Rovers line-up: Raya, Nyambe, Williams, Reed, Smallwood (Graham, 46), Armstrong (Rothwell, 65), Mulgrew ©, Dack, Lenihan, Bennett, Palmer (Brereton, 69). Subs not used: Leutwiler, Rodwell, Bell, Conway.

Attendance: 19,992 (Blackburn Rovers fans 5,614)

Referee: Mr A Madley

There is no better feeling then stuffing your nearest and dearest in a local derby and the only real disappointment is that Barker was denied at the end when it could have been five, those in the away end wouldn't have seen as the vast majority had left to go on the massive seven mile journey back to the 9th century
We started well two up in 10 minutes, Browne doing superbly for the first getting in down the left hand side pulling the ball back to Barkhuizen 1 up. The second came down the other side with Robinson eventually receiving the ball in space on the left side of the area, left footed past Raya 2 up and every credit to Robbo for going to celebrate with the Rovers fans.
Dack nearly pulled one back moments later denied by Rudd who had an excellent first half because to be fair to tem they were the better side for the rest of the half should probably have scored missed two easish headers and Rudd pulled of one good save from Dack and a worldie from a Mulgrew free kick.
Substitution worked well for Rovers from a dodgy free kick decisionGraham headed them back into the game, we had to weather the storm and started to impose ourselves on the game and our substitute lso made an immediate impact, Moult on for Nmecha who did not have the best of games. Barkhuizen got in down the right, ball into the mix never really cleared and Moult lurking at the back post nudged it home, breathing space, Rovers had a goal disallowed according to Mowbrey wrong decision, tough luck then, but soon after they were put out of their misery, Brown and Moult exchanged passes before Moult's chip to the far post where Browne left footed the ball past Raya. Job done.
Only negative Robinson hamstring injury but a positive from the club Johnson injury not as bad as feared only out for 4 to 6 weeks, right off to run naked round the village in celebration.

Preston manager Alex Neil:

"I thought it was a good performance today. We started great, got a 2-0 lead, created some great chances and finished our chances really well.

"We were aggressive, we wanted to win, and I think that we fully deserved it. The reaction to conceding, to come back and finish the game off was probably the most pleasing aspect for me.

"At the end of the day we got the win, against our local rivals, the lads played well, and I am pleased."

Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray:

"Much of our defending was uncharacteristic today. There were also some individual errors and collectively we played too deep and invited trouble.

"Then at 3-1 we have a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside against Bradley Dack, who is clearly onside and that is frustrating.

"But let's not look too deeply at this today, we lost 4-1 to a rival, we know that we have to be better than this in the upcoming games and it is as simple as that."